The present invention relates in general to exposed particulate concrete, and in particular to an improved method for surface-seeding the particulates into the upper surface of the concrete.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,788 entitled SURFACE SEEDED EXPOSED AGGREGATE CONCRETE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a surface seeded exposed aggregate concrete characterized by the use of small, rounded aggregate, such as sand, being broadcast over the upper surface of concrete. The method disclosed results in a reduction in the size of the aggregate exposed on the surface of concrete compared to other prior art methods. The resultant surface seeded exposed aggregate concrete exhibits an extremely flat exposed aggregate surface suitable for extremely high traffic flooring applications. Additionally, the surface texture and color are able to approximate the surface color and texture of more conventional flooring surfaces, such as stone, granite and marble.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,146 entitled GLASS CHIP LITHOCRETE AND METHOD OF USE OF SAME, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a surface seeded exposed particulate concrete and method for producing same. U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,146 improves upon the surface seeded aggregate concrete and method of making same disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,788 by disclosing a method that produces surface seeded particulate concrete that expands the colors and surface texture appearances of concrete surfaces beyond those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,788.
The patents described above produce surface seeded exposed particulate concrete with desirable characteristics, as evidenced by the use and extensive licensing of such products throughout the United States. However, the application of the surface seeded particulate is a timely process. Furthermore, uniformity of application is difficult to achieve for large surface areas. Typically, it is difficult to achieve a uniform application for surface areas which require broadcasting of particulate beyond a distance of ten feet from the broadcaster.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved process for surface-seeding of the particulate into the upper surface of a very large concrete slab.